Back from Spain
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 3:58 pm
Folks
We just blew in from Madrid after a trip thru France then Spain. Still jet lagged and exhausted after a 7 am flight from Madrid to Munich and then arriving at 7.30am in Singapore thus effectively missing two nights sleep. Okay I’m getting old - the local govt rub it in by refusing to renew my driving Licence without extensive medical exams and next time I’ll have to do a practical test too. The fact I had a racing Licence for years clearly does not count.
I can’t count how many Riojas and Riberas I consumed plus a few Galician whites (Albarino), a few Toros and Penedes reds. plus some house wine from nowhere of note that were surprisingly drinkable given they were poured out of jugs and carafes.
My view of Spanish wines is that they really offer good value though rarely hit the highs of the best wines from France. I wonder where else in the world red wine is as good at low prices. A few Euro5 wines were surprisingly good with hearty Spanish food. I have to say that when Crianza is handed out as part of a set menu, my expectations are hardly high but seriously, some were very good and I would not have complained had they been medium priced.
Drank two vintages of Muga Prado Enea and I really like the style. 2009 was better than 2006 but not sure about the provenance of the 2006.
If there is an odd character here it is that more expensive reds are now sometimes too oaky. I drank a few bottles of Condado de Haza 2018 and 2019 and they are becoming too oaky. I often bought this wine in Australia numerous times in the 90s and 00s and never recalled such overt vanilla oak before. Alc also weighed in at 14.5-15% and this is not a trend I support. Further, a few other wines were too overtly sweet for me. I suppose the modernists have the support of many critics.
A Spanish friend loves Priorat wines but now hates the critics and wine writers who have talked up the prices. Pingus does seem to deserve its status but not sure about the price now. A few medium priced Priorats were very good at their price points but not sure the top wines really do it for me compared to Bordeaux or Burgundy at the same prices.
Historically Spanish whites have never done much for me but Galician Albarino and blends does do well with Turbot, Hake and Monkfish. Okay I miss white Burgundy when I don’t drink it for a while but I did appreciate the Galician wines. I just wish I could get fish like that in Singapore.
A strange trend is grotesque or unusual labels - skeletons and deformed people just don’t impress me and this isn’t a trend I want to see continue. The locals say it is about getting noticed - as a marketer I get that but I am not drinking wine with labels like that.
The real advantage of Spain is value. The expensive wines are generally very good but the lesser priced wines from good producers are often outstanding at their prices points.
Few good Spanish wines are available here which is a pity. We get Muga at least though at twice the local price and mainly Rioja.
Cheers
Mark
We just blew in from Madrid after a trip thru France then Spain. Still jet lagged and exhausted after a 7 am flight from Madrid to Munich and then arriving at 7.30am in Singapore thus effectively missing two nights sleep. Okay I’m getting old - the local govt rub it in by refusing to renew my driving Licence without extensive medical exams and next time I’ll have to do a practical test too. The fact I had a racing Licence for years clearly does not count.
I can’t count how many Riojas and Riberas I consumed plus a few Galician whites (Albarino), a few Toros and Penedes reds. plus some house wine from nowhere of note that were surprisingly drinkable given they were poured out of jugs and carafes.
My view of Spanish wines is that they really offer good value though rarely hit the highs of the best wines from France. I wonder where else in the world red wine is as good at low prices. A few Euro5 wines were surprisingly good with hearty Spanish food. I have to say that when Crianza is handed out as part of a set menu, my expectations are hardly high but seriously, some were very good and I would not have complained had they been medium priced.
Drank two vintages of Muga Prado Enea and I really like the style. 2009 was better than 2006 but not sure about the provenance of the 2006.
If there is an odd character here it is that more expensive reds are now sometimes too oaky. I drank a few bottles of Condado de Haza 2018 and 2019 and they are becoming too oaky. I often bought this wine in Australia numerous times in the 90s and 00s and never recalled such overt vanilla oak before. Alc also weighed in at 14.5-15% and this is not a trend I support. Further, a few other wines were too overtly sweet for me. I suppose the modernists have the support of many critics.
A Spanish friend loves Priorat wines but now hates the critics and wine writers who have talked up the prices. Pingus does seem to deserve its status but not sure about the price now. A few medium priced Priorats were very good at their price points but not sure the top wines really do it for me compared to Bordeaux or Burgundy at the same prices.
Historically Spanish whites have never done much for me but Galician Albarino and blends does do well with Turbot, Hake and Monkfish. Okay I miss white Burgundy when I don’t drink it for a while but I did appreciate the Galician wines. I just wish I could get fish like that in Singapore.
A strange trend is grotesque or unusual labels - skeletons and deformed people just don’t impress me and this isn’t a trend I want to see continue. The locals say it is about getting noticed - as a marketer I get that but I am not drinking wine with labels like that.
The real advantage of Spain is value. The expensive wines are generally very good but the lesser priced wines from good producers are often outstanding at their prices points.
Few good Spanish wines are available here which is a pity. We get Muga at least though at twice the local price and mainly Rioja.
Cheers
Mark